Nailable metal structural member



Dec. 29, 1953 J. M. GWYNNE 2,664,179

NAILABLE METAL STRUCTURAL MEMBER Filed April 27, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 J M GWYNNE 7 2,664,179 NAIL-ABLE METAL STRUCTURAL MEMBER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 29, 1953 Flled Aprll 27 1949 llllll VIIIIYIII INVENTOR.

Arm/W515 Patented Dec. 29, 1953 UNITED STATES l ATENT OFFICE NAILABLE METAL STRUCTURAL MEMBER Jacob M. Gwynne, Atlanta, Ga.

Application April 27, 1949, Serial No. 89,987

S'CIaimS'.

1 This invention relates to nailable metal struc tural members and more particularly to members adapted to be used in place of the usual Wooden studs, joints, rafters and the like in residential or other small building constructions.

It is a general object of the invention to provide nailable metal structural members having a web and one or more flanges formed integrally with the web, the flanges being formed to provide nailing areas and deformable areas adjacent thereto, such that when a mail or nail-screw is driven through a nailing area, portions of the adjacent deformable areas will be drawn toward each other and into firm engagement with lateral surfaces of the nail or nail-screw, thereby providing a greater area of engagement between the member and the fastening element than is the case with the nailable metal structural members now in use.

Another object is the provision of a structural member of the type described; the flanges of which are formed to provide a Series of spaced, longitudinally-extending, nailing grooves of truncated V-section, the floor of each groove being somewhat narrower than anail or nail-screw of suitable size for use with such members, whereby when such a fastening element is driven through thefioor of the nail groove, its sides will engage the Walls of the groove. A further object is to provide a structural. member of the character described, wherein the floor and walls of the nailing groove are so associated, and the metal ofthe structural member is such that, when a fastening element is driven through the floor of a groove the resulting deformation will cause the adjacent portions of the groove walls to be drawn. toward each other and into thin engagement with the lateral surfaces of the fastening element.

Another object is the provision of a nailable metal structural member of channel section comprising a web and two opnosite parallel. flanges, adapted for use in connecting the ends of a plurality of other structural members, the flanges of such channel-shaped member being formed to provide nailing areas or reduced thickness but without deformable groove walls. as described above.

Another object is the provision of structural members of the character described, having nailing areas of thicknesses varying with the distance of. the nailingv areas from. the free edge of the flange in which it is formed, thusrelat ing the force necessary to drive a fastening e ement through a particular nailing area to the distance from the junction of the web and the flange or,

in other words, relating such force to the bending moment exerted on the flange thereby.

Other and further objects, features and advantages will be apparent from the description which follows, read in connection with the accompany ing drawing in which Figure 1 is an elevational view oi a section of wall framing comprising vertical members and a single horizontal connecting member formed in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective of a short section of one form of member according to the invention;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, illustrating a modification of the structural member;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 2, illustrating a further form of structural member;

Figure 5 is a horizontal section on line 5-5 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a sectional view showing the operation of nailing a sheet to a structural member, at an early stage;

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 6 showing the same operation after completion; and

Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view showing the variation in thickness of nailing groove floors according to the distance of the milling groove from the web.

In order to facilitate an understanding of the invention, reference is made to the embodiments thereof shown in the accompanying drawings and detailed descriptive language is employed. It will'nevertheles's be understood that no limitation of the invention is thereby intended and that various changes and alterations are contemplated such as would ordinarily occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.

Figure 1 illustrates one conventional manner in which nailable metal structural members, formed according to the invention, may be employed, and illustrates a plurality of studs H3 connected at their upper ends by means of a plate comprising a channel member H. The studs l6 may be of either of the forms shown in Figures 2 and 3, and the channel member is illustrated in Figure 4. The structural members or metal lumber hereinafter described is preferably made of aluminum, magnesium, or other non-ferrous metal oil-reduced weight as compared with steel, the use of non-ferrous metal serving to eliminate rusting, swelling and rotting, and thereby eliminating also the nece sity for applying paint or other coating material. The members may be extruded, rolled or pressed into shapes hereinafter described, and may be used in place of wooden or metal studs, rafters, joists, braces, struts, and the like.

Members usable as joists, studs and the like are illustrated in Figures 2 and 3. In Figure 2, the member is in the shape of an I-beam having a web I2 and opposite parallel flanges I3, the web being centered between the flanges. The web and flanges are, of course, integral. Each flange I3 is provided with a series of spaced, longitudinally-extending nailing grooves I4 each groove comprising a floor I5 and divergent, inclined side walls I6. Adjacent side walls of adjacent grooves intersect along lines or knife edges I], so that the engagement between structural members, as well as the engagement between such members and sheathing or other elements, is along a plurality of lines rather than a surface. A result of this construction is that heat transference is greatly retarded and an insulating effect is achieved, without the use of any extraneous insulating material.

The width of the floor I5 of each nailing groove is appreciable, but is preferably less than the thickness of the nails or other fastening elements to be used with the structural members so that, when a nail is driven through the floor I5, its lateral surfaces will engage adjacent walls I 6, thereby assisting in drawing them toward each other to produce the effect illustrated in Figures 5 and '7. It will be understood that wherever the expression nail is used herein, it is intended to include screws as well, and particularly the nail-screw illustrated in Figure '7 which comprises an unthreaded or nail portion I8 and a threaded or screw portion I9, the head 20 being provided with the usual slot 2I. Such a fastening element is particularly suited to use with nailable metal members since the nail portion I8 may be driven through the nailing area of the member to rupture the same and, after the threaded portion I9 comes in contact with the nailable metal, the fastening element may be screwed into tight engagement therewith.

The nailing grooves I are closely spaced and are provided over the entire outer surfaces of the flanges 3, whereby nails may be driven through the flanges at any point over the entire surface of the flange, or at least within a very short distance of any point at which the nail may be started. If the point of the nail encounters a wall I6 instead of a floor i5, it will be guided down the wall to the floor without any attention on the part of the mechanic performing the operation. Since one of the edges I'I lies directly over the web I2 of the section illustrated in Figure 2, it is impossible for the nail to encounter the web i2 edgewise and thus be turned.

Since the floor and walls of each groove are integral and are made of deformable metal, the act of driving a nail through a groove floor will not only deflect the floor to a certain extent, in the direction of progress of the nail point, but will cause adjacent portions of the walls I6 to be bent inwardly or toward each other, into engagement with lateral surfaces of the nail. This action is illustrated in Figures 6 and 7 wherein it will be seen that in the act of driving the nailscrew I8, 29 through the sheathing 22 and floor I5 of a groove I4, not only is the floor I5 ruptured to permit passage of the fastening device, but the adjacent portions of the walls I6 are bent inwardly about their intersections with the floors of adjacent grooves to form a tube-like area of contact with the fastening element. The latter may then be screwed tightly into place, and the area of engagement between the nailable member and the fastening element will be from three to six times greater in extent than that afforded when a nail or nail-screw is driven through a plain sheet of deformable metal, either solid or slotted to permit of easier nailability but not provided with the deformable areas of the present invention. As shown in Figures 5 and '7, the effect just described is achieved when the external thread diameter of the fastener is equal to not less than about three-fourths of the distance between adjacent edges I1.

Figure 3 illustrates a variation of the member shown in Figure 2, the member of Figure 3 being of Z-section to permit nesting in transport. The web comprises an inclined portion 23 connected by straight portions 24 with opposite and parallel flanges 25, the latter being formed with a plurality of grooves I 4 just as in the case of the member illustrated in Figure 2.

In either case, but particularly in the case of the Z-section member of Figure 3, it is desirable to apportion the thickness of the groove floors I5 to their distance from the free edge of the particular flange. This feature is better illustrated in Figure 8, in which it is seen that respective floors I 5 increase in thickness as they approach the web 12 or, in other words, as they are disposed at greater distances from the free edge 26 of the flange I3. Thus, the thicknesses X, Y and Z in Figure 8 may be, respective, .040, .045 and .050 of an inch for example, or may have an analogous relationship. In the case of a Z-section member where the web joins each flange at one edge thereof, rather than at a midpoint, the thicknesses of the groove floors may vary over a greater range to permit of easier nailing adjacent the free edge of the flange, so as to avoid distortion of the member by bending the flanges about their points of juncture with the web.

The channel member of Figure 4 comprises a web 30 connecting opposite parallel flanges 3| each of which is provided with a plurality of nailing grooves 32 formed in its outer surface. The floors 33 of the grooves 32 are of reduced thickness to provide nailing areas, but the flanges are not given a corrugated effect as in the case of I- and Z-sections, since the channel member is employed for connecting the ends of other members which are provided with nailing grooves of the character described and which make provision for firmly seating the nail in the manner set forth. In other words, the nail is driven through the flange SI of the channel member and into a flange I3 of the I-section member or a flange 25 of the Z-section member, and seats in the latter, as illustrated in Figure 5.

If desired, one of the flanges I3 or 25 may be left smooth, rather than corrugated, in which case the member in question can serve the dual function of rough stud and door jamb, window sill or the like.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A nailable metal structural member com prising an elongated web and an elongated flange integral therewith and extending longitudinally thereof, said flange being formed with a plurality of laterally spaced continuous, longitudinally extending flatbottomed nailing grooves separated by ribs of angle section, the crests of said ribs constituting a series of spaced, parallel knife edges, the floor of at least one of said grooves being, throughout its length, of a uniform thickness less than the general thickness of said flange.

2. A member comprising a web and two opposite and parallel flanges, said flanges being formed as defined in claim 1.

3. A member of channel section comprising a web and two opposite and parallel flanges, said flanges being formed as defined in claim 1.

4. A nailable metal structural member comprising an elongated web and an elongated flange integral therewith and extending longitudinally thereof, said flange being formed with a plurality of laterally spaced continuous, longitudinally extending flat-bottomed nailing grooves separated by ribs of angle section, the crests of said ribs constituting a series of spaced, parallel knife edges, the floor of each said groove being of a width approximating the thickness thereof, the floor of at least one of said grooves being, throughout its length, of a uniform thickness less than the general thickness of said flange.

5. A nailable metal structural member comprising an elongated web and an elongated flange integral therewith and extending longitudinally thereof, said flange being formed with a plurality of laterally spaced continuous, longitudinally extending flat-bottomed nailing grooves separated by ribs of angle section, the crests of said ribs constituting a series of spaced, parallel knife edges, each said groove having a floor lying in the plane of said flange, the floor of at least one of said grooves being, throughout its length, of a uniform thickness less than the general thickness of said flange, the floor thickness of the grooves varying according to their respective distances from the free edge of the flange.

6. A nailable metal structural member comprising an elongated web and an elongated flange integral therewith and extending longitudinally thereof, said flange being formed with a plurality of laterally spaced continuous, longitudinally extending flat-bottomed nailing grooves separated by ribs of angle section, the crests of said ribs constituting a series of spaced, parallel knife one of said grooves being, throughout its length, of a uniform thickness less than the general thickness of said flange, and a fastening element extending through said member, said fastening element, having a pointed end and a shank threaded throughout at least a portion of its length, the external diameter of the threaded portion being equal to not less than about threefourths of the distance between adjacent groove edges.

8. In combination, a nailable metal structural member comprising an elongated web and an elongated flange integral therewith and extending longitudinally thereof, said flange being formed with a plurality of laterally spaced continuous, longitudinally extending flat-bottomed nailing'grooves separated by ribs of angle section, the crests of said ribs constituting a series of spaced, parallel knife edges, the floor of at least one of said grooves being, throughout its length, of a uniform thickness less than the general thickness of said flange, a second nailable metal structural member comprising an elongated web and an elongated flange integral therewith and extending longitudinally thereof, said flange being formed with a plurality of laterally spaced continuous, longitudinally extending flat-bottomed nailing grooves in the outer surface thereof, the inner surface of said flange being flat, whereby the metal forming the floors of the grooves is of lesser thickness than the general thickness of the flange, and a fastening element extending through said members, said fastening edges, the floor of at least one of said grooves being, throughout its length, of a uniform thickness less than the general thickness of said flange,

one of said ribs lying in the plane of said web.

7. In combination, a nailable metal structural member comprising an elongated web and an elongated flange integral therewith and extending longitudinally thereof, said flange being formed with a plurality of laterally spaced continuous, longitudinally extending flat-bottomed nailing grooves separated by ribs of angle section, the crests of said ribs constituting a series of spaced, parallel knife edges, the floor of at least element having a pointed end and a shank threaded throughout at least a portion of its length, the external diameter of the threaded portion being equal to not less than about threefourths of the distance between adjacent groove edges of said first structural member.

JACOB M. GWYNNE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHER REFERENCES Aluminum Mouldings, published by Aluminum Company of America, Pittsburgh, Pa., page 37, section #K-l262, published 1929. 

